Car alarm

[Rhino]

Anyone have any advice on a good alarm and what they might have payed for it?

[ScottV]

I looked at going aftermarket, but the stock OEM alarm is actually pretty good in my opinion, if you take some additional measures. First off the OEM can be purchased from PacificBMW for about $230 or at CircleBMW for maybe a few bucks less. The alarm can be installed yourself using various DIY tech articles and then activated at the dealer for anywhere from FREE to $100ish depending on your relationship with the dealer, most people who have just bought the car and put the alarm in themselves get it activated for free, since they just bought the car. I think most of the LA/Cali people are paying around $45. (you can search on here or E46Fanatics.com for the going rate, they are always posting about getting the alarm activated).

Additional measures, get the door lock cover (search) and have the programming changed to disarm alarm with remote only (this keeps the alarm from being disarmed if the crook takes a screwdriver to your door lock (which if covered will be less of a problem, also some people take the door lock cylinder out). This basically eliminates the use of the door key lock, but this is the most secure setup for your car.

The OEM alarm has some pretty cool features, the siren has a rechargable battery in it, so if the alarm is armed and the power is cut, the siren will sound. Plus the car is already wired for the alarm, so it's just plug and play (took me 40 minutes today to install my alarm). Plus the car has a digital tilt sensor and radar motion sensor. Also I would recommend adding the DEI 504M Shock sensor to add shock sensing capability. (do a search on www.e46fanatics.com for info on adding).

Basically, I looked at going aftermarket, but the OEM alarm looked pretty solid, so I went with that instead of dealing with having an aftermarket alarm installed.

[Wah]

Bought the OEM alarm for $225 from gearhart BMW in NJ and installed it myself. Wasn't as easy as I thought it would be (putting in the siren is a biatch) but I got everything in. My dealer activated it for me for free (week old car).... and had the remote only arm/disarm function programmed. :thumbup:

[EZ]

May I ask a neophyte's question? I've never had an alarm. What good is it for?

As far as I know, knew BMWs are practically impossible to hot-wire. My new car (ED in June) will stay in a garage, and where I live – just inland off Malibu – 40 K cars are abandoned.

Any comments are welcomed.

[ScottV]

Originally posted by EZ
May I ask a neophyte's question? I've never had an alarm. What good is it for?

As far as I know, knew BMWs are practically impossible to hot-wire. My new car (ED in June) will stay in a garage, and where I live – just inland off Malibu – 40 K cars are abandoned.

Any comments are welcomed.

Well, there is this little thing, called CRIME that I'm sure you have heard nothing about around MALIBU.

I dont want my car phucked with and broken into for it's contents. I'm not worried about it getting stolen, they can just flatbed it if they wanted. I have to deal with crackheads and gangstas who want to steal my $****, that's why I have an alarm. You wouldnt understand apparently.

[ERK]

Originally posted by EZ
May I ask a neophyte's question? I've never had an alarm. What good is it for?

As far as I know, knew BMWs are practically impossible to hot-wire. My new car (ED in June) will stay in a garage, and where I live – just inland off Malibu – 40 K cars are abandoned.

Any comments are welcomed.

I had all four of my wheels and tires picked off the car while it was sitting in my girlfriend's driveway. If I had had the wheel locks and alarm like I do now, it wouldn't have happened.

[Mark_325i]

for alarm sellers. Ask yourself: when was the last time I paid any attention to a blaring car alarm (being annoyed does not count)?

Get the clown nose under the RV mirror programmed to blink when the car is locked. When it blinks, it looks like the car is alarmed, which is probably enough to scare off any thief who does not want to deal with an alarmed car.

If someone really wants the car, though....

[EZ]

Originally posted by ERK
I had all four of my wheels and tires picked off the car while it was sitting in my girlfriend's driveway. If I had had the wheel locks and alarm like I do now, it wouldn't have happened.

Sorry to hear that. Do you think that if you had an larm, it would've prevented it?

Honestly, I'm not disputing your point, but rather debating with myself.

[ERK]

Originally posted by EZ
Sorry to hear that. Do you think that if you had an larm, it would've prevented it?

Honestly, I'm not disputing your point, but rather debating with myself.

I think in my situation it would have prevented it. At least I would have heard it and been able to check what was up. The theives went out of their way to find a quiet neighborhood in the middle of the night. I bet an alarm would have scared them away.

It really depends on where your alarm goes off. If it happens at 3 in the morning in your driveway you'll go check on things. If it happens at nine at night in the far corner of a remote parking lot then it will probably be ignored.

[jk330i]

despite all the arguments the bottom line is that having a car alarm is better than no alarm.